Five Ways to Stop Your Dog Pulling on Their Lead

Walking your dog should be an enjoyable part of the day, but if your dog spends most of the walk pulling towards other dogs, people, smells or interesting places, it can quickly become tiring and frustrating.

The good news is that lead pulling can often be improved with patience, consistency and an understanding of why your dog is pulling in the first place.

Every dog is different, so there isn’t one technique that works for every dog.

But these five approaches are a useful place to start.

1. Reward the behaviour you want

Dogs learn through association, so rather than concentrating only on stopping your dog from pulling, try to notice and reward the moments when they are walking nicely.

When the lead is loose and your dog is walking alongside you, offer praise, a treat or another reward they value.

Over time, your dog begins to understand that staying close and keeping the lead loose is rewarding.

The important part is timing. Reward the behaviour you want when it happens, rather than waiting until several minutes later.

2. Stop when the lead becomes tight

If pulling consistently results in your dog getting where they want to go, pulling can become self-rewarding.

One simple approach is to stop moving whenever the lead becomes tight. Wait for your dog to turn their attention back towards you or create some slack in the lead, then continue walking.

This can take patience, particularly with an enthusiastic dog, but consistency matters.

If sometimes pulling gets your dog where they want to go and sometimes it doesn’t, they may simply learn that pulling is worth trying.

3. Make yourself more interesting

For many dogs, the outside world is incredibly exciting.

There are smells, sounds, people, wildlife and other dogs everywhere.

Instead of expecting your dog to ignore all of this immediately, practise getting their attention on you when there are fewer distractions.

Say their name, reward them when they look at you and gradually practise in more distracting environments.

You can also change direction occasionally, play a simple attention game or reward your dog for choosing to check in with you.

The aim isn’t to stop your dog enjoying their walk. It’s to help them learn that you are worth paying attention to as well.

4. Give your dog time to explore

Sometimes pulling is simply your dog trying to get somewhere interesting.

Dogs experience the world through their noses, and allowing them opportunities to sniff and explore can make a significant difference to how they experience a walk.

Rather than making the entire walk about walking at your pace, build in periods where your dog can safely sniff and investigate.

A walk doesn’t always need to be about covering a certain distance. For some dogs, a slower, more exploratory walk can be far more satisfying.

5. Be patient and consistent

Perhaps the most important part of changing lead-pulling behaviour is giving your dog time to learn.

Some dogs will improve quickly. Others may need considerably longer, particularly if pulling has become an established habit.

Try to keep your expectations realistic and celebrate small improvements. If your dog manages to walk ten steps without pulling when they previously couldn’t manage two, that’s progress.

And remember that dogs don’t always behave the same way every day.

Excitement, tiredness, unfamiliar environments and distractions can all affect how well they respond.

If you’re struggling or your dog’s behaviour is causing concern, consider working with a qualified, reward-based dog trainer or behaviour professional who can assess your individual situation.

The same principle applies to photography

Interestingly, patience is just as important when photographing dogs.

A dog doesn’t necessarily arrive at a new location ready to sit perfectly, look at the camera and give you their best expression. They may need time to explore, sniff, settle and understand what is expected of them.

That’s why I never believe in rushing a dog through a photography session.

Giving them time to relax in their own environment allows their personality to emerge naturally and often produces much more meaningful photographs as a result.

After all, the best photographs aren’t always the ones where your dog is sitting perfectly and looking directly at the camera.

Sometimes they’re the moments in between.

The curious expression.The wagging tail.The muddy nose.

The look they give you when they think you’re not watching.

Those are often the photographs you’ll treasure most.

If your dog isn’t a natural model, don’t worry. A relaxed, unhurried approach can make all the difference.

At CherrillPhoto, every dog photography session takes place at a pace that suits the individual dog, with plenty of time to explore, settle and simply be themselves.